Faith
by Darth Yoshi
Summary: The Disciples of Rao were exiled from Krypton a few years before the planet exploded. They have scoured the universe looking for a new home. Now, they have found one in the planet Earth and if they have to force the populace to accept their way, they will
1. Chapter 1

DC Heroes: Faith

Chapter 1: Scarlet Knight

A humanoid figure, clad in crimson armor, dropped out of hyperspace, shielded in a green energy bubble. On its left hand, a power ring of the Green Lantern Corps flashed as it succumbed to the humanoid's will and sent a message via faster-than-light technology to the awaiting fleet some distance away. The figure changed direction and followed along the same path the signal had taken.

Moving so fast it was nothing more than a blur to anyone who could have been looking, the figure streaked by planets, moons and asteroids, not paying attention to the sights. Some worlds contained sentient life on the very edge of developing civilization; others belonged to galaxy spanning empires. None held any interest to the figure in red armor.

As it approached the fleet, the figure did take a moment to review the vessels and noted there were a couple of new ships that had joined. It was not unexpected; the warrior in the armor had been gone for six standard galactic months performing research and reconnaissance. The fleet was now sitting closer to seventy individual ships than the sixty that has made it up when he had left to begin his mission.

Moving towards the largest, an old Darthian battle cruiser, he slowed his travel as he was scanned by the sensors of the vessel. His power ring would accept and respond to the interrogation, confirming his identity. If it were discovered he was actually a spy from the Corps, the intergalactic enforcers of the laws of the Guardians of the Universe, then the batteries of the ancient warship would open up on him. A decade before, several of the weapons had been adapted to fire yellow beams of energy; yellow was the weakness of the power rings.

It took only a few moments to confirm his identity and he continued his progress towards the ship. Painted on the side of the ship was a large red sun, the symbol of Great Rao, the Giver of Life. At the main airlock, a red light began to flash, beckoning him to come closer. It was a welcome sight and his heart swelled with joy as he realized he would soon be reunited with friends and family.

He flew into the airlock and landed on the cold metal floor with a slight clang as his metal boots touched down. The airlock closed behind him, but he maintained the energy bubble around him. His armor had an internal heater and air supply, but he only used it in emergencies. His power ring, controlled by his formidable will, would displace the gases he needed from other worlds, while also serving as a heat source.

There was sound emanating from inside the walls that surrounded him, machinery he had not heard in so long that its humming and whirling were music to his ears. He felt his anticipation build as he realized who would be waiting for him once the secondary airlock was opened.

As if he had willed it to happen, it did. The machinery changed tone and the hatch to the inside of the ship slid to the side. The armored figure stepped through and deactivated his personal shield. Quickly he reached up and removed his helmet, revealing crimson skin and jet black hair, but otherwise human-like features. In front of him stood an amazingly beautiful, older woman clad in the robes of a priestess of Rao. She shared his skin color. "My son," she said, her arms held out in front of her. There were tears running down her face. "Blessed be Rao you live and are unharmed."

He accepted her greeting and they embraced warmly. Behind her were assembled various other high-ranking members of the fleet, including his father, dressed in his military fatigues. The beret he wore had the crest of Rao on it. "Mother," he began, acknowledging her because of her rank first and then he turned to his father. "Father!"

His father smiled warmly, but made no move forward. As he was not a member of the clergy, he would remain where he was for this formal ceremony. An older man, standing next to the priestess, reached out his hand. The warrior took it and dropped to one knee. "Oh Great Eye of Rao, I have been gifted with success in my mission. I have found what we seek!"

"This is great news indeed," the Eye of Rao commented. He bade the warrior to rise. "Kilgrave Kul, you humble us with your enthusiasm and knowledge! Do not keep us waiting; speak before this assembly."

A smile crossed Kilgrave's face. "The Earth can be ours; the population is weak in faith. Most of the population acknowledge the same god, but they fight wars over the interpretation of his laws."

The elder priest nodded and turned to the gathered personnel. "Do you not see, my bretheren, how it is that those who are farthest from Rao cannot correctly interpret His commands? These Earthlings are our brothers and sisters in Rao."

Many nodded, but Kilgrave's father looked unconvinced. It was often like that; Mun-Kul came from a long line of military officers, one of any new contacts because there was always hidden dangers. This much he had drilled into his son. The Eye of Rao saw his general's skeptic look. "Speak your mind, General Kul," he offered.

"All of our information indicates the people of Earth have the potential for greatness, this we know from the members we have recruited from Rann, Thanagar and other worlds. Yet, they hamper their own evolution by their…stupidity." The General prepared for a rebuke. He was a believer, but was much more conservative in his views than many of the others. He believed, as many did, that Rao had created Krypton as a sort of Heaven, but the people of that world had rejected Rao's teachings and so Rao punished the world by destroying it.

All that remained of fabled Krypton was those few remaining purebred members of the Disciples of Rao. "We have found worthy persons on many worlds, including my beloved wife from Korugar," he said, indicating the crimson-skinned priestess, "but we have not found a world that will serve as a New Krypton as promised. Not yet, anyway."

"And you believe the Earth is not this world, because of the primitives that inhabit it?" the priestess asked her husband.

"Mother, father, please," Kilgrave said, laying a hand on his mother's shoulder. Touching a member of the clergy, when they were in their ceremonial robes, was forbidden, but because he was the Scarlet Knight, he was forgiven the trespass. "I have further news."

Everyone directed their attention to the hero of the order. Kilgrave's face betrayed his excitement. "The reports were true; the hero known as Superman is a Kryptonian, purebred!"

There were murmurs of joy and a few calls for immediate deployment of the fleet. The Eye of Rao raised his hands for silence and then bade Kilgrave to continue. "He is the son of Jor-El, the scientist prophet!"

This brought even more voices into the discussion. Soon you could not hear yourself think, Kilgrave thought. Even the Eye of Rao was speaking in a hurried voice to the priestess, so Kilgrave decided to take a step back and review what he knew about Jor-El.

Back on Old Krypton, Jor-El had been a scientist who was renown for his knowledge of astronomy, physics and geology. After the Disciples of Rao had been exiled off-world, they had managed to keep in contact with friends on the planet. They learned of Jor-El's predictions of the coming end of the world, predictions that matched perfectly with the prophecies of the Eye of Rao. Though he was awarded the title of a prophet after his death, Jor-El was still considered an important saint in the religion of the Disciples.

The news that his son had survived the destruction of the world, a purebred scion of Old Krypton, was exciting news indeed. The Eye of Rao was getting old; it had been nearly four decades since the exile had started. The Disciples saw themselves as the last remaining links to the world of Old Krypton and that it was their duty to found a new world so their race could continue.

Members were accepted from other races; there was no xenophobia, However, the breeding population of pure Kryptonians was being depleted, especially after a case of an alien flue some ten years before. "You are sure?" his mother asked.

Kilgrave was pulled from his musings. "Yes. His name is Kal-El, and he has become the foremost hero of the Earth because of his abilities under the yellow sun."

It was no secret the great powers Kryptonians could amass when exposed to yellow solar energy, but it was considered blasphemous. Rao granted life under a red sun and to reject his gift for mere mortal abilities instead of eternal happiness, was a grave sin. Kilgraves armor prevented his body from absorbing yellow solar energy in his travels and instead kept him exposed to wavelengths similar to Great Rao. "He has not been properly exposed to the Word of Rao," was the summary judgment of the high priest.

"There is more," Kilgrave added. "He is accompanied by a cousin, Kara Zor-El, who has just reached breeding age. Then there is another."

His tone changed as he considered how to explain Power Girl. "There is another woman who claims to be Kryptonian and she exhibits the same abilities as Kal-El and Kara Zor-El. But," he began, knowing not what the reaction would be, "she claims to come from a different Krypton."

"She is a devil, a demon," the Eye of Rao spat. "She will have to be destroyed."

There was no disagreement; the order had been given and it would be added to the overall plan. Kilgrave doubted it would be assigned to him. There were others more suited for the task. Already, he could tell, his father was devising a plan of attack. A junior officer whispered something into the general's ear and the senior military officer nodded.

"Son, what about the Green Lanterns? When your power ring reactivated a year ago, we assumed it was because the Guardians of the Universe had reformed the Corps. Were you able to confirm this?"

"The Earth is home to between five and six Green Lanterns," Kilgrave told them. There was a gasp from his mother. She was a former Lantern. "I have a full report on them and many of the other so-called heroes and villains. There are some that I have rated as being high threats to our plans."

"Then they will have to be dealt with," the Eye of Rao added. "Earth is to be the New Krypton, despite the misgivings of our most esteemed General Kul. Remember that our mission is to bring the peace and order of Rao to the uninformed in order to better their lives, even if they do not realize they need it."

What followed was a prayer in Kryptonian, which lasted a full five minutes. Despite himself, Kilgrave found his mind wandering. From a purely religious point of view, he agreed; the way of Rao had allowed their fleet, with its myriad of races, to exist peacefully for decades. On the Earth, he had seen neighbors battling each other over what name to call their god. His father was right, the Earthlings were barbarians.

Yet, the son of the scientist-prophet had made it his home and had even taken one of their women as a mate. Of course, there were no Kryptonian women to choose from and even he had to admit that Lois Lane was a different kind of woman. Strong, independent, but submissive at the same time.

Yes, the Earth was full of savages, men and women who let their emotions get the better of them. But there were also many examples of good people as well, plus there was a diversity that only Rao could have dreamt of. As leader of the special operatives of the Disciples, he knew he would be the vanguard of an all-out plan of attack to eliminate those who would deny people the blessings of Rao.

"Son," his father said, stepping closer. The gathering was breaking up as a renewed sense of urgency seemed to fill the air. "Were you able to secure any assistance on-planet as I had requested?" The General wanted to make sure his operatives would have safe places to rest and equip in the event of a problem.

The overall plan was simple. The Disciples of Rao had commissioned the development of several "pacification" devices over the decades in preparation of rebuilding Krypton, or the creation of New Krypton as the Eye of Rao put it. A suitable planet was hard to find because certain conditions had to be met. After forty years of searching, it was reasoned by the High Council that Earth, considered insignificant by most races, had to be the choice.

Certainly there were problems. Forcing the population to accept the will of Rao; the timetable did not allow for any kind of education. Green Lanterns; the Guardians of the Universe did not respect religion and would gladly interfere in the name of order. Magically-based issues; the Disciples were fully aware there were individuals who could manipulate the very fabric of the universe. These were the demons and devils of Cythonna, the goddess of ice. Imprisoned in another dimension by Rao, she operated through agents in this universe. That was why Power Girl was sentenced to death.

"I encountered an evolved primate named Grodd. His race hides from the Earthlings, which he explained was not his philosophy. In the past, he has let this influence his actions and he has fought against the heroes of Earth," Kilgrave explained. "In exchange for assistance in freeing his people from the shackles of the past, and the right to live separately from the Earthlings, he will assist us."

"Can he be trusted?"

Kilgrave shook his head. "No, he will have to be watched carefully. However, his desire to rule his people in a way that he does not consider shameful is more important to him than ruling the world. For now, he will be a controllable ally instead of an unpredictable enemy."

"Will the overall plan work?"

The younger Kul pursed his lips as he considered the question. During his flight back to the fleet, he had debated the merits of the plan. "There are flaws. Overall, the population should be easily brought over to the wisdom of Rao, but there are individuals who, by their very nature, resist conformity. These persons will have to be isolated and educated or eliminated."

General Kul shook his head. "Murder is not the way of Rao. Those who cannot accept the grace of His message will be isolated from the rest of society. Perhaps in time they will see the error in not opening their hearts." He took in a deep breath. "I am talking about true threats; threats that will have to be dealt with…decisively."

"There are some. Power Girl is primary, but there are others. The people of this planet prefer to be in groups, so when we go after her, she will be joined by others. We must be prepared."

"You still have not answered my original question, son," was the response.

Kilgrave gave his father an intent stare. "Yes, but not without sacrifice."

"Sacrifice is the way of Rao," his father told him. "I have no doubt we will be moving the fleet in less than a day. Prepare your battle plans and bring them to me for approval. We must deal with the Corps first."

Kilgrave saluted and then turned on his heel. He would call his team together. He would tell them what he had learned. He would assign them to their tasks.

All in the name of Rao.


	2. Chapter 2

DC Heroes: Faith

Chapter 2: Green Lantern

Hal Jordan was considered the greatest of them all.

And also the worst.

Once he had been the toughest test pilot in the employ of Ferris Aircraft, the company his father had worked and died for. Taking after his father, he had gone into the Air Force and had become not just a good pilot, but one of the best ever. Leaving the military because discipline was a problem for him, he took an offer to fly for Ferris.

Unknown to him at the time, an intergalactic organization dedicated to promoting law and order was in trouble. Made up of 3600 active duty members, the Green Lantern Corps, named so because of the shape of the power battery they used for their rings, patrolled the known universe, protecting those from disorder, chaos and fear. One member, an honorable being named Abin Sur, crashed onto the Earth, a planet in his sector of responsibility.

Dying, he ordered his ring to seek out a successor for him. The closest person who had no fear, a minimum requirement for inclusion into the order, was Hal Jordan. Years later he would be the first to admit the Corps should have had more restrictive criteria. At the time he was arrogant, careless and a thrill-seeker; not the characteristics you look for when you surrender the most powerful weapon in the universe.

Still, he accepted the ring. He accepted the uniform. And, in time, he accepted the fact he needed to grow up. Hal Jordan was hailed as the savior of the Green Lantern Corps as he injected it with leadership and enthusiasm. Every new Corpsman wanted to be him, even in times when he became unsure of himself and turned over his duties to others.

Then he betrayed the Corps, succumbing to the fears he had buried deep inside himself after the destruction of Coast City by Mongul and the Cyborg-Superman. He allowed himself, though inadvertently, to be infected by the ancient entity of fear, Parallax. Becoming more than man, Hal Jordan rewrote Creation itself as his fears pushed him to achieve the power of a god.

A mad god. A god so consumed with grief he abandoned everything he had achieved in the vain hope he could right a wrong that in his mind he could have prevented from occurring. He was opposed by all of his former comrades and in his madness, he murdered many of them. He was pursued through time and he continued to kill with wanton abandonment. His fear was such it threatened to break down all that had ever been.

And then, in a moment of clarity, Hal Jordan remembered who he was and sacrificed his life to kill the Sun-Eater, thereby saving the Earth he had found so flawed. It had been his hope to move on to the afterlife and find peace.

Now he was alive again, back in the uniform of a Green Lantern. Fate had handed him a second chance.

Or at least, he would be back in his uniform if he could remember who he actually was.

The alarm clock went off, but Hal Jordan had been up for over an hour. It was his normal routine to get up early and workout. Rao expected everyone to take good care of themselves and Hal was doing his best to conform.

A stirring in the bed told him Carol was awake and none too happy about it. She had been up late again, going over the new marketing plan being put together for the upcoming fiscal year. Ferris Aircraft was expected to have a generous return for its investors and Carol was going to deliver.

Unlike most women, Hal noted, Carol put her career first, which had put a great strain on their marriage. The greatest praise one could offer Rao was more faithful followers. Carol had never been interested in children.

The raven-haired woman sat up in the bed and let the sheet fall away, revealing a body that was in far better shape than Hal's, despite all of his exercise. Both of them were in their mid-thirties, yet Carol looked nineteen. Hal hated that and lusted for it. They loved each other, that was for sure, but he still would have been happier if they had been more faithful to Rao.

He wanted kids.

"Morning," she said, stretching. He stood in the doorway to their bathroom, toweling himself off after his shower. He was sorely tempted to make love to her, but he had a very important appointment.

"Same to ya," he said with a sly grin. She recognized the smile.

"Got those thoughts again, Mr. Jordan?" she laughed. She knew about his appointment and knew nothing was going to keep him from it. Though they had been together for years, she still did not understand his willingness to tow the Rao line. Yes, she acknowledged the greatness of Rao, but she had some real issues with the way the religion of Rao treated women. "You'll miss your appointment," she chided him.

He moved over to the dresser and she noted he was rubbing his finger again. He had been doing it for weeks. She didn't think he knew she had seen him doing it, but often times he would look at his wedding band and his faced would take on a puzzled expression. It occurred to her that the symbol of their love was foreign to her.

She had not dared to express aloud she had the same thoughts when she looked at her own hand.

Rings meant something to both of them, and they knew they loved each other. But, by RAo, she could not help but think there was something odd about their relationship. Yet, they had known each other for years; they had been intimate as teenagers!

Hal pulled out a pair of dark socks to match the belt he had chosen. She noted he had once again picked a green shirt to go with the navy slacks. "What is it with that color?"

"What?" he asked playfully. Green wasn't even his favorite, but he fancied it. "It represents Krypton, the place where Mighty Rao first revealed Himself to the universe."

She took in a deep breath. Since they had converted to Rao, after the arrival of the blessed Disciples, Hal had become more animated when talking about spiritual matters. Before, when they had been…had been…been…

"Hey, babe," Hal called out to her. Carol shook her head and realized she had done it again, phased out the world as she slipped into following trailing thoughts. "I know you don't get into the whole Rao thing…"

She stood up and walked over to him, naked. Standing up on her tip toes, she gave him a kiss on the nose. "You want to leave your nice cushy job as top pilot for my company, fine! Go join the Kryptonian Guards; relive the days of your youth. If you get in, though, just remember we love Rao in this house, but I make all of the decisions!"

Her smile told him she was not being too serious and he took her in his arms. They stood there for a moment and then parted. He could not be late for his interview with Mr. Snart, the local Guards attaché. He had called the day before about the application Hal had e-mailed in to the headquarters of the Guards and an interview time was set up for the coming afternoon.

The Guards were the premiere military force of the New Krypton the Earth was slowly becoming. Six months before, the Disciples of Rao had come and discovered that zealots of false faiths had been using mind control to force the population of the planet to adhere to several differing, make-believe faiths. Through the Disciples and their wondrous heroes, Earth had been restored to its place of honor and became the starting point for a new Kryptonian civilization.

Through prayer and patience, Hal had learned to forget the awful time of his past when he was not in full communion with Rao. It was also through this process of discernment he determined he could best serve his god by joining the Guards. As a pilot, he knew he would have skills they needed. Many of the elite agents of the Guards needed to be transported and nothing was faster than flying.

Two hours later, he was walking into the Guards' recruitment center in downtown Coast City, once a LexCorp office building. LexCorp, it had been revealed, had secretly been supplying the zealots with the technology they needed to keep the population of Earth oppressed. The head of the company, Lex Luthor, was in hiding and one of the top criminals wanted throughout the world.

Hal recognized a large black man standing at an elevator. "John!" he called out.

The man turned around and instantly produced a grin. John Stewart was an architect and good friend of Hal's, though neither could recall the exact circumstances of their first meeting. It wasn't important anymore because a true friendship did not require a beginning or an end. "Let me guess, Captain Cold?"

Hal stopped short. The name meant something to him and his finger began to itch again. It always itched when he started thinking. "Excuse me?"

John laughed and pressed the up button. "Mr. Snart? The recruiter…he's called Captain Cold because he has no sense of humor. Straight to business. No small talk. You're here to speak with him, aren't you?"

Hal nodded. "How did you know? Are you here to…"

The other man shook his head. "No, I'm part of the city planning committee. We've been tearing down a lot of the zealots' false worship centers and we need to decide what to put in their place." He sighed. "It's a lot of work."

"Yeah, well the zealots had a stranglehold on us, but thanks to the Disciples," Hal told him as the door opened. "Thanks to them, we are free."

John entered as well and nodded his head. "Yep. Say, how's that wife of yours? Any kids on the way?"

The disappointment on Hal's face told him the answer before the words left his lips. "She still doesn't want to have any. You?"

John snickered. "I've got the crush on the high priestess, remember? Those women from Korugar…well, there's nothing like them. My parish administrator gave me a indulgence since nobody can compare to the beauty of the priestess."

"You should still get married."

"I know, Hal, but Carol is taken," John joked.

Before Hal could respond, the doors opened and John stepped out without another word. Hal knew he would have to think of something witty and call his friend about it.

"Mr. Jordan, we have reviewed your application and there are some questions that I need to ask you," Mr. Snart said. He sat across from Hal in a non-descript room with a plain wooden table and two chairs. Just as John had said, the man had no personality.

"Go ahead, my life is an open book," Hal offered.

Snart did not even flinch. "You have been married for how long?"

Hal's finger began to itch. "I'm not really sure; when the Disciples destroyed the mind-controlling devices, we kind of forgot the date…"

"I see, and did you not try to do a records search? You do know it is frowned upon for couples not to begin having children," Snart immediately replied. Hal was very aware of it.

"Yes, but…"

Snart removed his blue-tinted sunglasses and put down his paper and pencil. "Mr. Jordan, I will be very frank with you. 99 of your application is exemplary. Military service. Test pilot. No criminal record. Married. Drug test came back negative. You are exactly what the Guards need."

A big smile crept its way onto Hal's face. For whatever reason, he felt the need to belong to something bigger than himself. This was his chance. "That's great!"

Then Snart dropped the bomb. "Except you do not have children. Rao wants us all to procreate. Some of us are not fortunate enough to have pretty young brides, Mr. Jordan, with live-giving wombs."

"Actually, Carol just looks young…"

Snart was not amused and picked up his pencil and scribbled a note that Hal could not read. "You've married a woman that does not want to fulfill her biological duties. Women were created by Rao to serve men in the bedroom, first and foremost. They are obligated to…"

Hal held up a hand. "I am familiar with the text of the sacred tome, as is my wife. Carol looks at her business as her child, and even you have to admit that Ferris provides some of the best military aircraft in the world."

Snart shrugged. "I'm a recruiter, not a field operative. You score highly in all areas except faith. By faith, I mean your willingness to pass on a piece of yourself for the next generation. As the warming rays of Rao once delivered upon the promise of life on Krypton century after century, so must we ensure there are generations of worshippers to receive His gifts." The two men looked at one another for a few more moments. Hal was not sure what to say. Lately, he had been finding he had to defend Carol more and more to everyone. He was not enjoying it.

There were no laws regarding reproduction, but a woman who did not use her ovaries to the maximum output was seen as cheating Rao. "Then I suppose I'm not getting in?" Hal finally asked.

Snart ripped off the section of the paper he had been writing on and pushed it to Hal. "Mr. Jordan, under the precepts of the faith, should a man have a barren wife, be it physical or spiritual, he is entitled to, and encouraged to get, a consort. As it is, the Scarlet Knight himself took an interest in your file and has given me the name of a woman who recently completed realignment training."

Hal did not reach for the note. "I don't want to be unfaithful to my wife."

Snart again shrugged. "So divorce her. You wish to procreate?"

Hal nodded. Despite everything, despite his love for Carol, he did want to have kids. They were married after all! "I don't want to divorce my wife, either."

"Fly to Gotham City and meet this woman. Both of you are healthy and fit and she is not looking to marry."

Hal shook his head. "This is insane! You're telling me to get into the Guards I have to impregnate a woman other than my wife?" His finger was practically burning now.

Snart nodded, collected his things and stood up. "The Scarlet Knight has personally requested this. It is a rare honor. Most men would jump at the chance to bed this woman. Children are necessary, Mr. Jordan."

On the other side of the two-way mirror, Kilgrave watched in fascination. Next to him was a woman wearing the traditional uniform of law officer from Thanagar. The difference between her uniform and that of the people of her homeworld was the color. She was in clad in full crimson. "His will is strong; I am surprised the memory inducer worked at all against him," Kilgrave said.

The woman nodded. "Still, if we can get him to fully integrate into the faith, to truly accept Rao, he will prove to be a valuable leader."

Kilgrave looked down at his power ring. So many people felt it was the ring that was the weapon, but truly it was the mind and the will. Hal Jordan was a resource the disciples could not afford to let go. "You will watch him for me?"

The woman smiled. "If it gets us any closer to having children of our own, then yes."

He put a hand on the Crimson Hammer's shoulder. "My love, I cannot wait until the day we can put down our weapons and hand off these duties to another generation of warriors. Then you and I can settle somewhere on this planet and have our own family."

She seemed to take some measure of comfort in the words. "What about John Stewart? He is also a ring-bearer."

Kilgrave shrugged. "The principle is the same, except he does not have the passions for procreation that Jordan does. Stewart's wife was murdered. The emotional scarring is too great to overcome. By putting him with the city government, he is starting to step up as well."

"We all have our duties to Rao."

Kilgrave looked once more at Jordan, who hesitantly reached for the paper note. "Yes, we all do."


	3. Chapter 3

DC Heroes: Faith

Chapter 3: Batman

"Let go of the falsehoods of the past and embrace that which is Rao, the truth."

Bruce Wayne looked up from his meal, each course situated in it's own compartment on the metal tray, and raised an eyebrow. Though he was not sitting in a fine restaurant as he was accustomed to, the manners which had become second nature to him refused to leave. Slowly he picked up the paper napkin draped across his knee and brought it up to his mouth. He dabbed away the remnants of the chicken stew that had been prepared for him and turned his attention to the other person in his cell.

Dr. Stephen Crane was brilliant and mad. As a psychiatrist, he had learned more about the human mind than anyone outside of Freud. As the Scarecrow, he had become a mass murderer with a sexual fetish for mayhem, terror and fear. As Batman, Bruce had fought him several times. Today he was still Batman, but he was stuck in the persona of Bruce Wayne. "Dr. Crane, good afternoon; I was having some lunch. Would you care to join me?"

Crane, a spindly man with an arrogant air about him, put his hands behind his back. It surprised Bruce that he had been so easily taken down by the Kryptonian mind-control device, but he did not know exactly how it worked either. He had felt it come after him, but Bruce Wayne was a very special case. His mind was not quite the same as everyone else's. "No, thank you, Bruce; I am afraid I have a dinner appointment later with a young woman named Cassandra. Cassandra Cain," he repeated for emphasis.

It was obvious that Stephen Crane did not know Bruce Wayne was the Batman, which made sense. To the Disciples of Rao, Batman was nothing. It was Bruce Wayne they wanted to convert. With the power of the Wayne name, they would make great strides in gaining legitimacy in the small pockets of resistance around the world.

The system deployed to push people's minds towards the Kryptonian's way of thinking was only about 95 successful. Bruce Wayne had not been effected, though all of his friends and allies seemed to be. They had finally trapped him and he determined the best way to understand the enemy was to get into their camp.

Cassandra Cain was Batgirl. He knew the Kryptonians who were watching via the closed-circuit television system were hoping for some type of reaction. Anything would do at this point for all Bruce Wayne had shown them was defiance and boredom. Everyday, however, his captors showed him something new. Of late, they had tried to use the Batman's "converted" foes to illicit responses. Today it was the Scarecrow, acting as his therapist and threatening to go on a date with Batgirl. Yesterday it had been Catwoman trying to seduce him.

If they knew him, they would have realized that Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, never had to try to seduce him. Second, even with her under the control of the Kryptonians, Cassandra Cain was a formidable opponent and secretly Bruce Wayne wondered if he would ever see the Scarecrow again. Stephen Crane might just find out "No" means "dead".

"It is good you are getting out and seeing women finally," Bruce replied.

The comment hit a nerve. Even converted, most people seem to retain their basic personality traits. The subtle attack on Crane's sexuality, a long time joke in the Gotham underworld, had produced the reaction Bruce had wanted. "Yes, well," Crane began, somewhat off-guard.

Looking at the monitor, the high priestess of the Disciples of Rao smiled. Bruce Wayne was already in control of another situation. Time and again, he had thwarted their efforts. He could not be cowed and could not be controlled. His willpower rivaled that of any Green Lantern. With him on their side, it would be a great benefit. Such a man was a natural leader, gifted with the charisma that few beings had.

"Too bad its negative charisma," she whispered. Next to her, several converted guards said nothing. Nobody would dare to interrupt her thoughts. It wasn't about fear; it was all about respect. As the second-highest office holder on this new world, she was a leader and a symbol of the power of Rao.

She turned to several converts clad in the white coats of physicians. "Tell me again why he is resistant to the will of Rao?"

One of the doctors, an older woman with hair streaked with gray and bi-focal glasses cleared her throat. "The subject is unique in that he does not have an appreciable love or fear of a higher being. Our investigations reveal he has previously belonged to one of the zealot religions, Catholicism, but he was not very involved with it."

"He rejects the word of Rao?"

The doctor looked nervous, clearly not willing to give the truth freely, but compelled to do so nonetheless. "No, in order to reject, one has to listen. Bruce Wayne only listens to himself, regardless of subject or circumstance. In his mind, he is the authority on all matters. There is no real room for a god."

The door opened to Bruce Wayne's private room and Reyn Kul stepped through. She had removed her ceremonial robes in favor of a working jumpsuit that clung to her athletic figure. Despite her age, which was closer to fifty than to forty, she retained youth and grace in both presence and attitude.

Stephen Crane turned to her; tears of frustration in his eyes and he immediately dropped to one knee before her. "My most esteemed and honored lady, forgive my failure." He looked up at her. "He is a most impossible man to deal with!"

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Bruce picked up the glass of iced tea he had been sipping and swirled the ice around. Once Crane had left, but not without a hateful glance cast back at Bruce, the Batman felt inclined to comment. "I must be becoming more important now that they have sent you," he said with a nod.

She smiled and moved to sit on the edge of the sink. Now that he was back in Batman mode, Bruce made a mental note about the way she moved. Dressed as she was, the bearing and the maintaining of eye contact, told him she had received law enforcement or military interrogation training. "Do you know who I am?"

"I know who you claim to be and I know what you are," Bruce answered honestly. "You claim to be the high priestess of a religion that died with the planet Krypton." He waited for a reaction, but noted she was made of much sterner stuff than her lackeys. She could handle insults and jibes. "I also know you come from Korugar."

"Very good, but it is not surprising. You have dealt with my successor, Sinestro, several times in the past, have you not? And were you not introduced to the Green Lantern who succeeded him?" she asked.

Bruce filed the useful information away and took a drink to give himself a moment to consider what he would say next. His planning was paying off. He was now exposed to the highest levels of the pseudo-religion that had attacked his world. "I can't believe a member of the Corps would conspire to enslave an entire planet. Is this something that just runs in the veins of your people?"

She laughed. It was a genuine, joyful laugh. "Bringing the words and peace of Rao to Earth is not enslavement…"

"You used mind-control and brute-force tactics to get your message across."

"We used science to open the minds and hearts of a population that were being led astray, just as I had been by the Guardians of the Universe," she countered. "I was a loyal member of the Corps, Mr. Wayne, or do you prefer Batman?"

"I prefer to be called 'sir', but Bruce will do," he said with a wink. She was unaffected and he found himself slightly disappointed. He assumed he was losing some of his charm. "I've seen too many so-called loyal members of the Corps try to take over the universe. You. Sinestro. Jordan."

She sighed. "I do not do this for myself; I do this for all of you. When I was found by Rao, my life was a shambles. I had lost everyone I had ever loved, Bruce. You do know how that feels, don't you?"

Score one for her, he thought to himself. Reflexively, his jaw had tightened and he was positive she had seen it. After all of these months, after all of the interviews, she had found some of his weaknesses. "Yes, but I didn't turn to fascism to make myself feel better. If your religion is so great, why not let people decide if they want to join? We Earthlings pride ourselves on our religious tolerance…"

"Really? Because when we arrived here there were 18 separate conflicts going on all over the planet. Of those, twelve were over religious ideologies." She got up from the sink and moved over to the window and looked out. There were no bars because the glass was a special composite that could not be broken by normal means. "We saved you from killing yourselves. I know because that was what I was thinking of when the Guardians gave me my mission."

"Spare me. Anybody who deals with great loss has those thoughts. If you really wanted to be dead, you could have done it. You had the most powerful weapon in the universe at your disposal." He set his tea down and stood up. She betrayed no fear for her safety. He had no doubt she could give him a good fight, but it was her guards that truly concerned him. Besides, he had another mission to fulfill. "You could have flown towards our sun and been burnt up."

She shrugged. "Allow me to rephrase, then; I didn't want to die, I wanted to be with my husband and child, both of whom were killed by terrorists while I was away dealing with a situation in my sector. The Guardians were kind enough to put me on reserve duty afterwards because I was considered 'emotionally compromised'."

Bruce remembered how the Guardians had reacted to Hal Jordan's desire to fix the destruction of Coast City. Their cold-heartedness had allowed Hal to become overwrought with fear and loathing, allowing the Parallax entity to take control of him. "So you found religion. I've heard it a million times. Does not give you the right to tamper with free will."

"Rao found me, Bruce; I was assigned to transport a group of religious dissidents off of Krypton to an awaiting space craft that would take them to an uninhabited world. The Disciples of Rao," she began as she turned to face him, "had attempted to take over a city government on Krypton and establish a theocratic body. They were stopped."

"And Krypton had no death penalty and Jor-El had not created the Phantom Zone Projector yet," Bruce added. He had spent several weeks over the course of the last few years reading up on the world of Krypton. Superman's fortress was filled with reference material. "So exile into space was the answer?"

"It was the request of the accused. They claimed they could not live on a world that rejected Rao. The court took pity on them." She stepped a little closer to Bruce. "As did I."

That explained, at least partially, how the Scarlet Knight had come into possession of a power ring. That had been a definite advantage when the Justice League had first encountered him as the first shots of the coming religious conflict were fired. He didn't know how it was the ring was never retrieved by the Corps and now was not the time to ask.

He had very useful intelligence now. There was a good possibility the Scarlet Knight was raised to believe the power ring was useless against the color yellow. It was a lie the Guardians of the Universe had told their troops, a sort of "off switch" that could be used whenever a Green Lantern went rogue. The truth was yellow was representative of fear and Parallax and if the ring bearer had the willpower, they could overcome even that obstacle.

"So why did you give up on your God, this father of Jesus, Bruce Wayne?" she suddenly asked. The question took him completely off guard.

"I…I never gave up," he told her.

"Really? You do not embrace Him, even now when you have very little control over your life or destiny." She reached out and touched the side of his face. He did not stop her because he wanted to understand more about the belief system that drove his captors. "Through Rao, you can find the answers you seek. You will begin to understand the death of your parents was not a tragedy, but a reward for them. They are now one with the eternal crimson light that permeates the galaxy. They only know joy now."

"So," Bruce began, turning his face slightly into her hand. It was warm against his face. "Are you telling me Rao is responsible for all things?"

She grinned. "Of course I am, and I am telling you he does not want you to suffer or to feel pain. He wants you to enjoy the life you have."

Bruce backed away from her. "Then get him on the phone because I've been angry at the wrong entity. If Rao is the reason my parents are dead, then I have some real issues with him." To her, it was almost as if the shadows in the room were being drawn towards Bruce. "And I am someone who does not like to have issues."

"You…you…"

Bruce waved her away. "Call Him God, Rao, Allah or Wee Willy Winky for all I care; my faith isn't up for grabs. I believe in one thing: justice. I believe in the Almighty, but that does not mean I'm afraid of Him. I saw my parents bleed to death in front of me when I was 8 years old. If God is love, what the hell kind of love is that? You think some kind words and happy thoughts are going to make up for what was taken away from me?"

He reached down for his iced-tea and threw the glass at her. She dodged it and it crashed against the wall. "You're the high priestess, aren't you? Call up Rao and tell him Bruce Wayne wants to have a chat!"

The door burst open and three guards entered, each armed with stun batons. The first came at Bruce trying to poke him. Not one to be caught so easily, Bruce used a ninjutsu disarming technique with the back of his hand, spun the guard's arm up and forced the baton out of his grip. A quick jab and he went down and Bruce turned to face the others.

Keryn hit Bruce at the base of his neck, throwing her weight into the blow. She was the wife of a military man and had been trained in several martial arts. Bruce Wayne went down like a bag of sand. The guards scooped him up. "Take him to Level 3. Perhaps Qual can do something with him!"

As Bruce was dragged out, Keryn noted she was shaking. Was it fear? Adreneline? She said a silent prayer to Rao because she knew in her heart what it was. Bruce Wayne had voiced the exact same things she had said to the Disciples when they had first tried to convert her. All of the feelings, the sorrow and anger, that had made up her life had come rushing back to her in one instant.

She understood, more than anyone, the difficulties Bruce Wayne would have.

She was still having them.


	4. Chapter 4

DC Heroes: Faith

Chapter 4: Supergirl

Kara Zor-El had a nostalgic feeling as she looked around the room she had been placed in since her capture. It was like being back home, on Krypton, and she was at once happy and sad. She enjoyed being surrounded by items and memories of the home she had known most of her life; but at the same time, she realized what she was looking at was all part of a larger memorial to a dead planet

She had spent the first decade and a half of her seventeen years on Krypton. She had passed some of her time babysitting her baby cousin, Kal. Now, because she had been kept in suspended animation for several decades, her cousin was now a father figure to her. Being the older cousin had given her an identity, a place of importance in Kal-El's life. She had always envisioned how she would assist her aunt Lara in molding him into the perfect Kryptonian man.

Now, he was working desperately on trying to get her to accept her place in the Earth society she found herself thrust in. Having super-powers was great, there was no doubting that, plus she got to hang out with Teen Titans and every once in awhile see that hunk of a man Nightwing. Still, it wasn't home. She would trade every power she had and every friend on Earth to have her home back.

That was precisely what the Eye of Rao had guessed after the first few weeks of Kara's captivity, but she did not know that. All she knew was Earth had been attacked by Kryptonians that "protected" themselves from the yellow sun of Earth. Both she and her cousin, Superman, had been targeted first, along with all of the Green Lanterns. Then the Kryptonians had worked their way down a list that included super-heroes, super-villains, leaders and military officers.

The amazing thing about it, she told herself, was they had done it without the benefit of yellow-sun powers. They had about everything else including modified Phantom Zone projectors, hawkmen from Thanagar, Durlans and even some type of Green Lantern. It had been a complete surprise to everyone.

Then, suddenly, people began to turn on the heroes. People began leaving their mosques, churches and temples so they could join the religion of Rao. Kara was a devout follower of Rao, having been indoctrinated into the religion from her earliest years. Earthlings had similar concepts of Rao, but it was not the same. Personally, Kara felt all of the religions she had come into contact with, those she would put in the "good" category, all seemed to gravitate towards the same thing. There was a higher power, a sentient intelligence that guided events in ways that mortals, no matter how powerful, could even begin to comprehend. If Rao was not the God her friends talked about, they were probably cousins.

But these Disciples of Rao, she told herself as she watched their leader pour out two glasses of wine, were something different. She barely remembered them; their exile had occurred when she was very young and they were not discussed officially. She knew they had tried to take control of one of the city governments, to try and establish a theocratic safety zone within the confines of the scientifically-minded Kryptonian government.

She had picked up snippets of conversations from the cult members and had even been supplied with a tome of their beliefs. The Disciple's views were based on an obscure prophet from some three centuries before and many of their precepts and guides were very…strange.

"You have your doubts," the Eye said as he slowly walked over. Kara wanted to get up and help him. He was so old he seemed ancient. She half expected there to be cobwebs forming on him he moved so slow. She knew, however, it was not her place. She had already seen that nobody touched the Eye of Rao without permission. The practical reason for it was it made him seem somehow above everyone else as there were very few purification taboos in the theology of Rao. "I can see it in your eyes when you read."

She waited until he was closer before speaking, cautiously eyeing the red solar lamps that were used for lighting. It was disconcerting not seeing true color, but it also reminded her of the temple she used to attend twice every standard Kryptonian week. One day was for prayers of thanks; the other day was to assist in the maintenance of the temple. She smiled as she remembered how she used to be in charge of calibrating the solar collectors since her father and uncle were such famous scientists.

"Your beliefs do not match traditional doctrine," she replied. "It isn't blasphemous, it's just real old school."

The Eye chuckled. "I take it by that you are saying we have rejected many of the reforms of the last two hundred years? It is true. The high priests tried very hard to accommodate the people over the centuries because they felt it was the best way to keep the faith alive. What should have happened is they should have enforced the laws of Rao to the letter, to let all know Blessed Rao shines the same every day and does not adjust because we want Him to."

"I don't think I'm the person to discuss this with," she started. It was not exactly true. Even though Kal had been indoctrinated into the faith through other means, she was the only one of the two of them that had ever actively participated in the faith. She just wanted her cousin to be with her. "To be honest, I never really paid much attention."

He handed the wine over to her and she hesitated. "You have been on this world too long. We Kryptonians do not have prohibitions on our women enjoying the spirits of the fruit warmed by Rao." She knew he was correct because she had drank wine regularly with special meals with her family. On Earth, it was a different story and her cousin had been quick to point that out. "Embrace who you are, Kara," he urged her.

Sheepishly, she took the glass and lifted it to her lips. Her eyes opened in surprise and she pulled it away from her lips. "This is the real thing! I haven't had this since the last Festival of Days!"

"If you were more attentive, you would know by the Kryptonian calendar it is that time of year." He was admonishing her, but he was doing it in such a way that she felt she had learned something. In a way, he was right; she had partially rejected her heritage in order to fit in. "It is no matter; soon we will remove all of the zealot and false faiths from New Krypton and return the true celebrations."

"I don't think I would call them 'zealots' just because they are different," she quickly replied, thinking about her friends in the Titans. Kid Devil was a devout Catholic, just as Robin was, she thought. She had friends who were Christians, Muslims, Jews and Wiccans. Tolerance was something she had been taught because many scientists on Krypton did not worship Rao, but they were considered important in His overall scheme.

"They take the concept of Rao and twist it, much as the high priests of Krypton did," the Eye continued. "The Scientist-Prophet Jor-El, his name be revered forever, was the first to discover the anger Rao had felt because His way had been changed." He set the wine glass down on a small table, carved from the wood of a Cravat Tree. "Rao tried to warn the people and had we been on-planet then, we would have fully supported Jor-El as he tried to warn the government."

Kara suppressed the urge to inform the Eye that Jor-El had been considered a radical and alarmist by the governing Science Council when he brought his theories forth that Krypton was going to explode. The support of an extremist cult would have had very little positive effect for him.

The memory saddened her. She remembered how her uncle had been so frustrated when nobody in authority would believe him. "I do not believe Rao destroyed Krypton," he replied.

The Eye gave her a warm smile. "Neither do I, young lady; I simply believe He found Krypton lacking in faith and did nothing to prevent the destruction."

She wanted to call him an idiot; Rao was not so cruel. There were natural laws established at Creation and Rao ensured that life followed those laws. The tragedy of Krypton was nobody would listen to Jor-El. "Why Earth?" she finally asked.

He paused for a moment, considering his answer. Dressed in his casual robes, he no longer projected the image of power. She was also clad in traditional garb, which she mused, was more clothing than what she was normally used to wearing. Everything was sized correctly and made from the correct fabrics. When she was presented with it, she noted the cleaning instructions on the inside hemline was in Kryptonese.

Everything was just like home, even the slightly arrogant accent of the Eye's speech. Of course, she might have been used to Kal's way of speaking Kryptonese, which was something unique to hear.

"We have searched for decades for a new home. Earth is very far away from Krypton and it is under a yellow sun. We Kryptonians belong under a red sun." He looked at her and she detected something flashing in his eyes as she did so. She suppressed a shiver; for weeks she had been getting the distinct impression the Eye of Rao was attracted to her. "We live and breed under the guidance of Rao's giving light and warmth. It is our duty, as Kryptonians, to ensure our race continues on."

"Uh, huh," Kara said, drawing her legs up closer to her. She looked to the only door out of the cabin and saw it was guarded by a large man in Thanagarian armor. She had noted several members of that race as part of the Disciples security force. More than likely they had been refugees after the Rann-Thanagar war.

"You, Kara, have a duty to Rao," the Eye said cryptically.

"I also have a duty to the people of Earth…"

"New Krypton," he corrected.

"Whatever," she retorted, becoming very tired and very nervous. The isolation from her friends and family was beginning to takes its toll on her and she was bright enough to see that. All of the literature she had been exposed to indicated that women, with the exception of priestesses and scientists, were nothing more than walking wombs. The Disciples held to the old custom of marrying a girl off after her first menstrual cycle. Women who could not contribute significantly to society were expected to spread their legs for the good of the culture.

"I want you, Kara, to carry my child," the Eye announced. "Through you, my seed will mingle with the DNA of the revered Scientist-Prophet. I will produce an heir of pure Kryptonian blood, connected to the House of El."

Kara thought she was going to vomit. She was not a prude; but she was a virgin and intended to stay that way until, Rao willing, she met a nice, hot and rich guy to marry. The picture of the Eye's wrinkled form, naked and squirming on top of her, brought a wave of revulsion and fear over her she had never felt before. Immediately she tried to blast him in the genitals with her heat vision, but the red solar radiation had eliminated that. "No!" was all she could say. "I'll mix seed and DNA with who I want, when I want and how I want. I'm not interested in carrying on the Kryptonian race!"

The Eye laughed at her, making her feel foolish. "My dear Kara, you speak as if you have a choice! You must put behind you the arrogance this primitive planet has put into you. Nothing matters more than carrying on our race. You will submit to the will of Rao."

"The hell I will," she said, standing up. She threw the wine glass across the room. "You could be the last man in the universe and I'll be hopping in the sack with a good book instead."

Anger flashed in the eyes of the leader of the Disciples of Rao. "We have been monitoring you these past few months, Kara. You will reach you prime fertility point in three days. You have that long to come to terms with your place. You are no priestess. You certainly are not a scientist and there is no need for you in the security force. You are a womb with strong hips, you were meant to breed."

"If you're trying to say I'm a hottie, you really screwed it up, old dude!" she remarked, trying to sound brave. The truth was, she did not know what to do. She was being told in three days she was going to be raped, all in the name of her own god. "When my cousin finds out, he's going to be severely pissed off."

"Kal-El will be of no help to you," the Eye said, standing up and waving off her comment. "Nor will any of your former friends. Your life as Supergirl is over, Kara Zor-El; now you will be the instrument of bringing into this world our next leader. You will be a queen."

With that, he turned to leave. Kara wanted to go after him, attack him from behind, but she held back. True, she could kill him and thereby prevent anything else from happening, but she also wanted to live. If she could get outside the ship and into the yellow sun, then she could show them what was really up.

By the time she decided on some type of action, it was too late. The door closed and the clock started ticking for her.

Kara Zor-L went by the codename of Power Girl. She was not from this reality, but was actually the survivor of a great disaster that had placed her in this universe. She was Kryptonian and oddly enough, the cousin of Superman, just not the one everyone knew.

She also worshipped Rao, but she had begun leaning towards Christianity over the last few years. That was not the reason why the Disciples of Rao had marked her for death. When the invasion began, Power Girl was chairing a meeting of the Justice Society of America, the super-hero team she led. A Disciple security team, led by three Hawkmen armed with red solar energy weapons came after her. An armored Green Lantern had also been with them and it had been him that had taken down her team, catching them by surprise with tactics and brutality.

For six months she had been on the run with her small band of other heroes slated for execution. Kara was allegedly a demon, while her younger "cousin" had been captured and taken away. God only knew what had happened to Supergirl.

Next to her in the cloaked jet was Wonder Woman, someone not accustomed to running from any fight. Having once been proclaimed the goddess of truth, Princess Diana was also considered a blasphemous evil spirit by the Disciples. They had already captured Wonder Girl and sent her to a realignment camp; that had been reported in the news. Wonder Girl, however, never publicly claimed to be a goddess.

At the controls of the sophisticated flying machine was Mr. Terrific, an atheist whose super power was being invisible to technology. Michael Holt was also the third smartest person in the world, which was the explanation behind why he owned a private jet with cloaking technology.

There were other heroes in the plane. Blue Devil was a member of the Shadowpact and was a true-to-life demon. Red Tornado was an android possessing a soul. Like Wonder Woman, he was a member of the Justice League of America. Mr. Terrific was a teammate of Power Girl. Further in the back was Raven, a Teen Titan who was the daughter of the demon Trigon.

The last member of their little team was Connor Hawke, the son of Green Arrow. A Buddhist monk by profession, he was also a caring young man with a natural gift for archery. Like a few members of the population, he was able to resist the mind-control efforts of the Kryptonian invaders. His father and foster-brother had not.

Seeing ultra-liberal Oliver Queen and womanizing Roy Harper spouting the philosophies of the Disciples of Rao and attending temple services on a regular basis must have been quite a shock to Connor's system. He had no problem with either man finding religion, but he found it hard to believe they would simply accept an alien one. Especially his father, who questioned everything.

Connor was the newest member of their team and probably the last. Together, they had been trying to figure out a way to bring down the Kryptonians, but it was proving impossible. Oddly enough, most world leaders were very easy to control, their minds simply perfect for the machines employed by the Disciples. They had no idea where the machines were kept or how they worked. Mr. Terrific was sure if he had an hour or so, he could figure it out.

"I've tapped into an old LexCorp satellite," Mr. Terrific announced. "It seems like that fleet overhead is deploying devices that are helping to alter the sunlight. Certain parts of the world are currently not good places for you to be, Kara."

"I know," she said, looking down at her costume. The white leotard was now a dirty, dingy color. The large cutout over her chest, meant to display her ample cleavage, was torn and her breasts were bruised from the almost constant fighting she had been exposed to. It didn't matter what country they landed in, she was the most wanted woman on the planet.

And for once, it wasn't just for sex.

Despite the situation, she allowed herself a mental chuckle. How nice it would be to get back to the days of where people were pasting her head on porn star bodies and distributing them over the internet. "God, I miss those days," she said out loud.

Wonder Woman, somebody who could definitely sympathize, turned to look at her. There were bags under her eyes, proving even an Amazon could get exhausted. "What?"

"I was just thinking how good it used to be. Internet porn. Paparazzi. Right-wing pundits accusing me of being a lesbian." She laughed again and Blue Devil coughed.

"I'm a Republican," he said.

"Imagine that," Kara joked, thankful for the levity.

"I'm also tracking their patrol ships in orbit. They have about six craft that are small and fast; but they fly in distinct patterns. Must be Thanagarians," Mr. Terrific commented. The African-American hero was not looking good either. His leather jacket was torn so that his sleeve read "FAY" instead of the normal "FAIR PLAY". "If one of you can find me something capable of spaceflight, I think we can get help from the Green Lantern Corps."

Connor Hawke spoke up. "Is that wise, especially how easily both Hal Jordan and John Stewart were taken down? Do not forget they have a Lantern on their side."

Mr. Terrific shook his head. "I don't know who that guy was, but he wasn't a Green Lantern. Yeah, he had a power ring, but so does Alan Scott. Or he did. Whatever." He adjusted the altitude and they dropped even lower. Currently, they were in Australia. "Guy Gardner is stationed at their headquarters on Oa. He may not be aware of what is going on. I don't know. I do know it will be safe for all of us there and not here."

Nobody said anything different. They had no choice in the matter. In order to save the Earth, they had to abandon it. Their silence betrayed their seething anger at that thought.


End file.
